Tuesday, April 05, 2011

The Hub Awards 2010 – Tamil Film Music

Best Female Playback Singgar

Here we are once again, with a handful nominations full of beautiful women who contributed to the well-being of Tibetans. Who am I kidding, I have here names of singers, most of whom I have not heard about singing films I have not seen

Here we go, first we haveAnweshawho invested her vocal inMandhira Punnagai, a film that has nothing to do with Sathyaraj.

Then we haveGurupriyawho was used for the filmKanden, which nyaan kanddutulla.

Finally a singer from a film which I have seen and almost wept not because its terribly sad, but you don’t see much of them these days. And it’sHamsikaforAngadi Theru.

Winner: Anwesha

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Best Debut Male Singer

It’s no surprise that I don’t know any of the nominees since they are newcomers. But then this is an important moment for them. This is their first step, the giant step into the industry and then get invited to judge kid shows.

Here are the nominees, for Enggeyum Kaadhal,Aalap Raju. Why alap? His siblings name are Sanggathi Rani, or Birkha Bairavan or what?

Whoever you guys are, all the best and stand in line behind more new singers…

Winner: Alphones

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Best Song Picturisation/Choreography

This is certainly a weird award, but considering the emphasis directors put in making sure, and knowing well, that their movies suck, at least the audience gets to take a gander at the heroines’ cleavages.

Leading the pack isArima ArimafromEndhiran, a sequence which Shankar must have spent the entire GDP of Singapore on. Needless to say, Rajini looked awesome in it, overshadowing his heroine, the brilliant set, and those extremely fake looking silicon lions (cost US$3.99).

Then comesEn kadhal sollafromPaiya, andHosanafromVinnai Taandi Varuvayoowhich again showcased Goutham Menon’s fixation over the crucifixion pose the heroes often project when they are in lauv.

This followed byIragai pole (Nan Mahan Alla)andKilimanjaro, again fromEndhiranwhere Aishwarya Rai showed what would happen if the Loony Toons' Road Runner dances.

More songs fromVinnai Taandi VaruvayawithMannipayaandOmana Penne, and Kamal gets to showcase his reverse singing talent in the nominatedNeela Vaanamsong fromManMadhan Ambu. Is there anything this man cannot do? Oh, bungee-jumping into a live volcano? Haha, wait did he hear that?

Last two song in the list isPookal Pookum (Madarasapattinam)andUsure Poguthey ( Ravanan)the latter in which the heroine went through the extreme torture of looking beautiful all the time.

Winner: Neela Vaanam

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Best Lyricist

Best lyricist nomination names are interesting because of the names themselves.

First on isArivumathi. Look at that name. Which parents would name a child two names that means the same thing. It’s like naming your kid, Sooru Saatham or something. This definitely will go down in the history as the most modest name in this side of Batman Villains.

Then we haveChandru, who’s usually played by Navarasa Nayagan Karthik, andMadhan Karkywho is, you guys know this very well, son of one of the most brilliant poets/lyricists/writers Kannadhasan.

The list is followed byMu Mehta, a veteran lyricist who have been writing since the colonial times, and rubbed shoulders, palm and ears with Bharathidhasan, andNa. Muthukumar, who would have gotten my vote for being brilliant, creative and a fellow balding victim.

Other names inThamarai, again another brilliant writer,Thiagarajan KumarajaandYugabharathi. Finally this list is not complete without one name that should be in any nominations lists ever, like Best Praisefest Contendor, the one and only Jimpalakkadi Jimba…wait, let me get the reading glass…oh yea, it’sVairamuthu.

Winner: Vairamuthu

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Best Background Score

It’s increasingly interesting to note that a nod has been given to the Background score direction, considering some Hubbers here spent most of their waking hours talking about how they didn’t even realise that there was none in Nadunisi Naygal.

Leading the list is none other thanA.R.Rahmanwho actually should be banned from any awards, and just mail him the trophies on regular basis bar the public holidays.

Next to him is his nephewG.V.Prakashwho will forever known as the boy who sangcikku bukku cikku bukkuopening. Next on is the both underrated and overratedVidhyasagar, followed by the dude who always sings like he spent two hours in LA Airport and acquired the accent,Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Last but not least, of course, the composer better known for singing lots of Ramarajan songs,Ilaiyaraja.

Winner: Ilayaraja

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Best Playback Singer - Female

Here we go again, a list of mostly unknown folk whom I suspect are all ladies.

Or so I think, if I were to dismiss the lead nomineeAndreawho seemed to be channelling Louis Armstong a lot. Followed by today's*Hariniand highly overratedShreya Ghosal, andSudha Raghunathanwho is someone, I suspect, who sings.

Then, we haveChinmayiwhose chicken like clucking ability induced tons of offers from Cartoon Network, followed byMadhushreewho, though she didn’t do the clucking thing, nevertheless deserves offers from Cartoon Network for reasons known by no one else but me because I don’t have a frickin clue what to write about her.

It’s interesting that this year there are nominees who are composers themselves and also pairs of daddies and sons that shows nepotism rules and you’d rather do it yourself than the fee seeking singing chipmunks.

Among the nominees isIlayaraja, whom previously I introduced as frequent playback singer for a certain milkman, who is also known for being responsible for another nomineeYuvan Shankar Rajawho has fierce “no entry” sign in his studio especially two rottweilers that specialises in ripping apart other singers throat.

Another daddy on the list isK.J Yesudasswho occasionally descents from wherever he is to remind the us that he is the original, notVijay Yesudass, the other nominee.

I am also given these namesRoopkumar Rathod, Vijay Prakash, Haricharan, whom I have no idea who they are, which I suspect was plucked out of certain rear end to break the votes.

Also in the list isA.R.Rahman, who joined IR and MSV as composers who also sang for Rajini and yet none of them sound like Rajini at all. UnlikeKarthik, another nominee in fact.

Last but not least is god himself. *lightening and thunder effect please* The defender of great singing, the purveyor of awesome voice talent, the symbol of cheerful obesity, the golden voiced, the giant bellied, the Man, the Lord, the one and the only ....S.P.BALASUBRAMANIAM!!! Bow! Bow to the lord all thee minions!

Winner: Karthik

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Album of the Year

We have lots of nomination for album of the year this year owing to lazy hubbers who has been slacking in their work listening to worthless music and reading stupid award announcements. You have been warned.

Anyway leading the list. Wait, can I say something other than “leading the list”, it’s grating. Okay, ending the list isAyirattil Oruvan/Madhrasapattinam /Va.

The slashes are actually in the list, I am not making it up. I don’t know what it means either, split votes? Leaning over each other? Shoulder to cry on? I’m going bonkers with one too many announcements?

Okay, deep in the pit are titles likeNandhalala, PaiyaandTenmerku Paruva Katru, the latter title obviously trying to cash on ARR’s fame. Shame on you, you should try to cash on IR’s fame.

Of course, it’s inevitable that ARR is here, with three of his movies nominated, namelyEndhiran, Raavanan, Vinnai Thandi Varuvayaall of which contained two of the worst actresses since Kamala Kamesh and Saritha’s sister combined. It’s time you take that break, Rahman.

Winner: Vinnai Taandi Varuvaya

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Song of the year - 2010

I don’t listen to new songs all that much except when A.R Rahman decides to take a break and composes Tamizh songs. But more on him later.

Songs that I may have heard about but don’t give not only two hoots, but three horns, four snorts, areEn kathal solla (Paiya), Iragai pole (NMA), Onnukonna (Nandhalala),Pookal pookkum (Madharasapattinam), Un perai sollum (Angadi Theru).Though I have seen three of the films, I can’t remember the songs at all, that’s how awesome they are.

Usure pogutheyfromRaavanangoes on to show that as great as Vairamuthu was, sometimes he goes batshit insane when writes that the protagonist’s life leaves him when the heroin twists (twitch?) her lips. For the same heroine, years ago, he had the protagonist declare that he is willing to drink her sweat. Excuse me one nimits for five nimits....

...ah...feeling better...anyway, that song was composed by Rahman as he did for the filmVinnai Taandi Varuvayawhere two songs made it here,Aaromalea bluesy, folksy, shout from the jungle song andMannippayawhich I conveniently forgot.

Next on, ARR not only composed, but also sang for Rajini, a number titledIrumbile (Endhiran)where on Rajini does lots of Aerobics for the geriatrics. But that’s not A.R Rahman’s fault, unless you want to blame him for the next nominated song,Puthiya manitha (Endhiran), where he made S.P. Bala sound like mating hippos. Who am I kidding I love both songs.

Winner: Irumbile

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Best Music Director

NOV, do we still have awards left to give to A.R Rahman? Oh, you’ve sent for a container. Okay, I’ll read the nomination list anyway.

Apart from the obvious winner, duh, is his nephew again, one Mr.G.V Prakashwho kept giving one lame composition after another after showing potential in Veyyil. When was that? 25 years ago?

Then there are names that has escaped me time and time again and are now on a man-made raft in the sea of my amnesia attempting to board my ship of selected memory, namelyKannan (Tamil Padam), N.R.Rahanthan (Thenmerku Paruvakaatru)andThaman.

Then you have the usual nomineeVidhyasagar...*yawn*... and, again, one of thousandVijays, who worked for Kanden Seethaiyai.

If I began with uncle and nephew, I shall end the list with dad and son,Ilayarajawho can still rock the boat when he’s not tinkering with the boring synthesiser stuff and junior,Yuvan Shankar Raja, who’d rather strangle himself with guitar string than avoid tinkering with the boring synthesiser stuff.

Who wins this category? If “obvious answer” is not your answer, I suggest you leave the Hub and become member of “Hey, I’ve just discovered world wide web” forum.

About Me

Writer.
Mostly Frank. Good at bad cracks. Bad at being politically correct. Excels in ranting. Strong in willpower, weak in discipline. I am a being with contradictions and that is normal, I guess...Politically I am right leaning lefty with strong liberal principles. Skeptic by approach and strong believer of individual rights, whatever it means nowadays...